LEGAL AID
CONSULTATION: TARIFF REFORM: NUMBER OF HOURS, HOURLY RATES AND BLOCK FEE RATES
CONSULTATION: TARIFF REFORM: NUMBER OF HOURS, HOURLY RATES AND BLOCK FEE RATES
CONSULTATION: TARIFF REFORM: NUMBER OF HOURS, HOURLY RATES AND BLOCK FEE RATES
LAO is consulting on proposed amendments to the fees that private bar lawyers are paid for doing legal aid work. LAO is proposing to:
• increase the hourly rates for roster lawyers and the amount paid for block fees.
• increase the number of hours allocated under the hourly tariff.
• allow per diem duty counsel to bill according to their tier rate.
LAO is interested in any other ideas regarding changes to the tariff, particularly those that could help address backlog issues in the courts.
LAO is seeking feedback on the following:
• Rules amending the Legal Aid Services Rules (Fees and disbursements).
The consultation is open from June 9 to July 9, and you may participate by providing a written submission either directly through the LAO website or by emailing Katie at katie.robinette@fola.ca and/or Terry Brandon (FOLA’s Legal Aid Chair) at terrylbrandon@acriminaldefence.caby June 30th and we will consider your comments in our formal submission to Legal Aid.
ROSTER RULES - 2022
CONSULTATION: TARIFF REFORM: NUMBER OF HOURS, HOURLY RATES AND BLOCK FEE RATES
CONSULTATION: TARIFF REFORM: NUMBER OF HOURS, HOURLY RATES AND BLOCK FEE RATES
On August 10, 2022, LAO released an update to its Rules regarding Minimum Roster Standards. The update is highlighted on the LAO website here, as well as here. The new Rules are effective immediately. The new Rules document, titled ‘LASA Rules – Amendment to Rules on Roster Standards’, can be found here.
LAO'S LASA 2020 RULES & POLICIES
CONSULTATION: TARIFF REFORM: NUMBER OF HOURS, HOURLY RATES AND BLOCK FEE RATES
JUDGE-LED INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT COURT
The Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 (LASA), which governs legal aid in Ontario, was proclaimed on October 18 2021. As such, LAO has established rules & policies to manage & administer legal aid.
FOLA will be contributing to a joint submission by the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA).
Learn more about specific Rules & Policy consultations here.
FOLA's Submission to LAO re: Minimum Requirements to be Authorized to Provide Legal Services by Area of Law
Refugee Lawyers’ Association of Ontario Submission
The Advocates' Society's Submission
BACKGROUND
Between April 21 and May 20, LAO asked for input and hosted meetings with FOLA (as a part of ASLA). In one meeting, the Attorney General was also present. FOLA also attended a few meetings with ASLA to coordinate a group Submission. FOLA also prepared our own Submission (both of which are below)
PROVINCIAL LAW ORGANIZATION SUBMISSIONS
The Advocates Society's Submission
Mental Health Legal Committee's Submission
Family Lawyers Association's Submission
Refugee Lawyers Association Submission
Joint submission of the CLA, FLA, FOLA, MHLC, and the RLAO re: Criminal Law & the Draft Rules
LAW ASSOCATION SUBMISSIONS
CCLA's Criminal Law Committee and Family Law Advisory Committee's Submissions
JUDGE-LED INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT COURT
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY CONSULTATION REPORT (PART 1)
JUDGE-LED INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT COURT
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is supporting the new Judge-Led Intensive Case Management Court (JICMC) with time-limited certificates for accused people without retained counsel whose matters are more than twelve months old and who have had their cases adjourned to the JICMC.
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY CONSULTATION REPORT (PART 1)
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY CONSULTATION REPORT (PART 1)
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY CONSULTATION REPORT (PART 1)
"Relationships First, Business Later"
Aboriginal Justice Strategy consultation report: Part 1
In 2019, the Aboriginal Justice Strategy (AJS) at Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), commenced province-wide consultations with Indigenous communities, stakeholders and service providers about the direction that the AJS should be taking in its next phase of development.
At that time, the AJS was not able to conduct consultations with Nishnawbe-Aski Legal Services Corporation (NALSC) and/or with any of the communities within the Nishnawbe
Aski Nation (NAN) territory.
In October of 2019 and as a result of the consultations that were conducted in 2019, outside of the NAN territory, the AJS drafted the report: “Relationships First, Business Later”.
As a result of the ongoing Pandemic and an inability to determine when in-community consultations within the NAN territory will be able to commence, LAO and the AJS made a decision to release the findings of the initial consultations that were conducted outside of the NAN territory. These findings have been released as “Relationship First, Business Later: PART I”.
LAW SOCIETY OF ONTARIO
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY CONSULTATION REPORT (PART 1)
ABORIGINAL JUSTICE STRATEGY CONSULTATION REPORT (PART 1)
REPORT: An Abiding Interest: Implementation Update – June 2021
The report provides an update on the Law Society of Ontario’s involvement in legal aid after Convocation adopted the 2018 Report of the Legal Aid Working Group: An Abiding Interest.
CALL FOR INCREASED FUNDING
LAO TARIFF & BILLING CONSULTATIONS
SECOND CHAIR MENTORING PROGRAM
In light of the COVID-19 Pandemic, FOLA, through ASLA, called on the Attorney General of Ontario to support an increase in funding to Legal Aid Ontario. We also sent a letter to the federal Minister of Justice requesting funding for Refugee Legal Aid.
ASLA Letter to the Federal Justice Minister
Due to the impact lower interest rates have had on the Law Foundation and the subsequent funding shortfall to LAO's budget, also as a result of COVID-19, on Aug 20, FOLA also sent a letter to the Federal Minister of Justice.
SECOND CHAIR MENTORING PROGRAM
LAO TARIFF & BILLING CONSULTATIONS
SECOND CHAIR MENTORING PROGRAM
Legal Aid Ontario has expanded its “second chair” mentoring program to better assist the professional development of private bar lawyers working on legal aid cases.
Previously, mentees could not work at the same firm as their mentors. Now, a pilot expansion of the program will permit in-firm mentorship of lawyers from equity-seeking groups. Additionally, LAO will endeavour to match mentees with mentors based on identification, location and area of law, if requested.
Click here for full details of LAO’s expanded second chair program that includes links to further information and relevant forms on LAO’s web site.
Any follow up questions can be directed to secondchair@lao.on.ca.
LAO TARIFF & BILLING CONSULTATIONS
LAO TARIFF & BILLING CONSULTATIONS
LAO TARIFF & BILLING CONSULTATIONS
Updating the way LAO pays lawyers is an important part of LAO’s Modernization program that aims to modernize Ontario’s legal aid system.
To this end, LAO held consultations in early 2021 according to area of law and Legal Aid Ontario prepared consultation decks to help guide the discussion. The areas of law are: Criminal; Family and Child Protection; Immigration & Refugee; and Mental Health Law.
CONTINUING LEGAL AID ISSUES
ENHANCED LAO SERVICES FOR IMMIGRATION DETAINEES
LAO TARIFF & BILLING CONSULTATIONS
As you may be aware, FOLA is a member of the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid. Meetings are held frequently (including during the pandemic) and if you'd like to jump to our pre-Covid-19 related content regarding legal aid, click here.
FYI - For LAO's most recent data showing the racial make-up of clients who use certificate services, click here.
ENHANCED LAO SERVICES FOR IMMIGRATION DETAINEES
ENHANCED LAO SERVICES FOR IMMIGRATION DETAINEES
ENHANCED LAO SERVICES FOR IMMIGRATION DETAINEES
Legal Aid Ontario has launched a new program that uses both private practice and LAO staff lawyers to provide legal representation to all unrepresented immigration detainees in their detention review hearings.
The Immigration Detention Representation Program (IDRP) is a free service available to anyone in immigration detention in Ontario who would like representation in a detention review hearing. No application in advance is necessary.
CHAMPIONING SUSTAINABLE AND ADEQUATE LEGAL AID
FOLA has long believed that a sustainable, appropriately and adequately funded legal aid system is critical to the efficient, effective and just functioning of Ontario's justice system.
Ontario has one of the best legal aid systems in the world, but it is far from perfect and FOLA is actively involved in a number of initiatives to make the system better for both low-income clients who use the system and the lawyers who utilize funding from Legal Aid.
In light of the economic hardships created by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA) wrote to the Attorney General on April 28th request support for additional funding for Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) . Read our letter here.
**LEGAL AID SERVICES ACT UPDATE**
In the Fall of 2019, FOLA's Legal Aid Committee met with the Alliance on Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA) during our review phase of Bill 161. Learn more about the review process on the Legal Aid Services Act.
Read FOLA's submission regarding the review of the Legal Aid Services Act - Sept 2019
Read FOLA's Legal Aid Summer 2019 Report
Read FOLA's Legal Aid Report to Plenary -May 2019
Take a look at the Family Law Limited Scope Services Project May 2019 Plenary Presentation.
**C-75 BILLING UPDATE**
As you may know, a number of offences that used to be straight indictable are now hybridized, and there is a new maximum presumptive penalty of two years (up from six months) for most summary charges. As a result, LAO has made some billing changes:
- If there is a summary election on a previously straight indictable offence, the newly hybridized charges will be paid at the Summary II block fee rate.
- The rates paid for the remaining block fees have not been changed. Charges that used to carry the presumptive penalty of six months will still be paid at the Summary I block fee rate. Those paid at the Summary II block fee rate will continue to be paid as such.
Legal Aid Online updates to reflect Bill C-75 amendments to Criminal Code
Bill C-75 amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada include the hybridization of about 118 straight indictable offences, and standardization of a new maximum term of imprisonment for the majority of summary conviction offences to two years, less a day.
Legal Aid Online has been updated to reflect the following changes
- Adding “Summary Conviction” to the election dropdown menu on the account page for newly hybridized offences
- Newly hybridized charges will be paid at the Summary II block fee rate, if the election is to proceed summarily.
Updates apply to certificates issued before and after September 19, 2019.
LAO will not seek to recover overpayments for newly hybridized matters that proceed by summary conviction and that were billed as indictment prior to the Legal Aid Online updates.
Offences now exempt from block fees will remain so.
Block fees
Summary conviction block fee rates are based on the maximum term of imprisonment: where the maximum term was six months prior to C-75, the Summary I rate is payable; where it was greater than six months, the Summary II rate is payable.
LAO recognizes that the amendments to the Criminal Code that standardize the maximum term of imprisonment for most summary conviction matters effectively eliminate the justification for two block fee rates.
LAO will, in consultation with the bar, set a cost-neutral single block fee rate. Until this rate has been determined, summary conviction block fees will be paid at current rates.
Questions? Contact the Lawyer Service Centre at 1-866-979-9934.
**UPDATE REGRADING FAMILY LAW LEGAL AID - FEBRUARY 2020**
As of February 3, 2020, LAO’s Family Case Management program is expanding to include:
- family or domestic cases likely to cost more than $12,000, including fees and disbursements;
- child protection cases likely to cost more than $8,000, including fees and disbursements
This is in addition to helping lawyers manage costly and complex CYFSA‑extended society care matters likely to cost more than $8,000—the program’s previous focus.
The expanded program will ensure more family cases are eligible for budgets on costly cases and proceedings. Lawyers are to apply to the program if the hours under the tariff are not sufficient, and they predict that their budget will exceed $12K or $8K for family/domestic or child protection cases respectively.
Extended society care matters are eligible for case management where the certificate was issued prior to February 3, 2020. All other CYFSA and domestic family certificates issued on or after February 3 are eligible for case management.
The pilot will be evaluated after three years
**UPDATE REGRADING REFUGEE LEGAL AID - AUGUST 2019**
Further to the federal government’s August 12, 2019 announcement of $25.7 million in one-time funding for immigration and refugee services, Legal Aid Ontario has restored services in these areas for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Legal aid coverage for immigration and refugee services has resumed at levels offered prior to April 15, 2019, when certain services were suspended.
For Refugee Protection Division matters, while coverage remains the same, the way LAO authorizes it has changed for an interim period. LAO will now issue a Basis of Claim-alone certificate and a second nine-hour certificate for the RPD hearing. Clients who received a BOC preparation-only certificate between April 15, 2019 and August 16, 2019, are also be eligible for a hearing certificate.
This is very good news and allows LAO to restore immigration and refugee services for the remainder of the year, while they continue to advocate for stable funding.
**CHANGES TO LAO's DISTRICT STRUCTURE & TO THE REGIONAL SERVICES DIVISION - SEPT 2019**
**IMPORTANT UPDATES TO THE CERTIFICATE POLICIES & PROGRAMS - JUNE 2019**
**CHANGES TO LEGAL AID ONTARIO's FAMILY AND CRIMINAL DUTY COUNSEL PROGRAMS - JUNE 2019**
REVIEW OF THE LEGAL AID SERVICES ACT
Over the summer of 2019, FOLA, as part of the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA) reviewed the Legal Aid Services Act (LASA) and we continue to monitor this file.
CALL FOR COMMENT – SHORT-TERM PRO BONO LEGAL SERVICES RULES
In the spring of 2019, the Law Society sought input on proposed amendments to the lawyers’ Rules of Professional Conduct, which would extend the modified conflict of interest standard in the short-term pro bono legal services rules to Legal Aid Ontario lawyers, who provide short-term pro bono legal services.
They also sought input on whether the short-term pro bono legal services rules should be expanded to include other not-for-profit service providers. Currently, only lawyers who provide services through a Pro Bono Ontario program are exempt from performing conflict of interest searches when providing pro bono services.
You can read FOLA's submission here.
You can read TLA's submission to the LSO Professional Regulation Committee here.
FOLA's Legal Aid Committee & ASLA
FOLA has an active Legal Aid Committee, currently chaired by FOLA executive member Terry Brandon, and is involved with the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA) which has been the primary vehicle for interested legal organizations to lobby for more funds to service more of the population.
In the April 2019 Ontario Budget, Legal Aid funding cut nearly 30% ($133 million). It was also announced that the organization could no longer use provincial funds for refugee and immigration cases.
FOLA is working aggressively with all ASLA members to ensure that these cuts do not impact front line services. Together, we have written formal letters requesting meetings with the Attorney General of Ontario (one letter regarding the cuts in general and one letter regarding the cuts to refugee funding), the federal Minister of Justice, and the Chair of Legal Aid Ontario. Updates will be forthcoming.
The members of ASLA are:
- Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario
- County and District Law Presidents’ Association
- Criminal Lawyers Association
- Family Lawyers Association
- Law Society of Upper Canada
- Ontario Bar Association
- Refugee Lawyers Association
- The Advocates’ Society
- Mental Health Legal Committee
Legal Aid Deficit
In December 2016, FOLA and other stakeholders learned that Legal Aid Ontario was facing a $26 million deficit as a result of higher than anticipated up-take on the expanded services first introduced in 2015. FOLA responded to this news in which we expressed our concern with this development and with the potential impact it might have to clients and to the certificate-bar system in Ontario.
The Attorney General also commissioned a review of Legal Aid to determine if there were steps to take to avoid the same problems in the future. The results of this review can be found at this link.
Looking forward, FOLA will continue to work with Legal Aid Ontario and other stakeholders to strive for an adequately funded legal aid system that maintains the private bar at the centre of the legal aid system. This means we will continue to work through ASLA and undertake our own advocacy efforts.
The relationship between the Private Bar and Legal Aid Ontario
The relationship between the private bar and Legal Aid Ontario has, over time, been a fractious one, but FOLA has attempted to take constructive steps to improve this relationship and to ensure the avenue of communication is always open between LAO and the bar. At nearly every Plenary meeting, LAO participates in panel discussions; FOLA regularly provides updates on LAO activities to its members; and, if problems arise, FOLA engages with senior executives of LAO to address issues and find solutions.
FOLA also strives to invite LAO representatives to its bi-annual plenary meetings as often as possible to facilitate an ongoing dialogue between LAO and the practicing bar.
If members of the private bar encounter specific problems or issues with LAO, they are encouraged to contact Katie Robinette, Executive Director (katie.robinette@fola.ca) directly so the issues can be dealt with quickly.
LEGAL AID ONTARIO CLIENT PORTAL AND OTHER LINKS
Here are some handy links from Legal Aid Ontario (LAO).
LEGAL AID SERVICES RULES
DRAFT MINIMUM EXPERIENCE STANDARDS
DRAFT MINIMUM EXPERIENCE STANDARDS
DRAFT MINIMUM EXPERIENCE STANDARDS
LAO is in the process of implementing both Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 (which was proclaimed into law in the Ontario provincial legislature this past October) and the new Legal Aid Services Rules.
As part of this process, from Dec. 13, 2021, to Jan. 24, 2022, LAO will be consulting with justice partners in Ontario on the draft minimum experience standards.
This will be LAO’s first consultation on a proposed Rule change. The consultation will follow LAO’s Public Consultation Policy under section 33 of the new Act, dealing with consulting with the public, including clients and service providers, prior to changing a Rule or Policy.
The minimum experience standards are the minimum requirements that prospective roster (formerly panel) members must meet to join our roster and to be eligible to provide legal aid certificate and duty counsel services in specific areas of law.
Visit LAO's website for details about the consultation process, the accompanying materials and information on participating in any of the town halls they will be holding. You may also participate by offering written submissions.
If you have any questions regarding this, please email David McKillop at mckilld@lao.on.ca.
RULES & POLICIES
DRAFT MINIMUM EXPERIENCE STANDARDS
DRAFT MINIMUM EXPERIENCE STANDARDS
In accordance with LASA, 2020, Rules developed by Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) now govern the administration of legal aid in the province. This advance enables LAO to modernize and streamline its operational structure, increasing efficiency, and continually improve service.
View or download the document containing all Rules and supplementary information.
Alongside each new rule are Policies that provide direction, limits, and guidance for how the rule will be applied. These Policies are listed below. They have been approved by LAO’s Board of Directors. If LAO is going to propose changes to these Policies in the future, it will do so following the process set out in the Legal Aid Ontario Public Consultation Policy made under section 33 of LASA 2020.
FOLA will be contributing to a joint submission led by the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA).
STAY INFORMED - LAO UPDATES
DRAFT MINIMUM EXPERIENCE STANDARDS
STAY INFORMED - LAO UPDATES
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) continues its commitment to engage in public consultations to better understand the needs of our clients and enhance service delivery.
LAO consults about different topics, in a variety of ways. A small percentage of LAO’s overall consultation and engagement activities are about proposed Policy or Rule changes. Those consultations will be clearly identified as such because they must meet specific requirements set out in the Legal Aid Ontario Public Consultation Policy, written in keeping with s. 33 of the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020.
Notices of consultations about proposed Policy or Rule changes, as well as other types of LAO consultations, will be posted at legalaid.on.ca. Individuals and organizations can now also subscribe to the LAO Consultation Registry to receive email alerts about upcoming consultations.
LEGAL AID SERVICES ACT - REVIEW
REVIEW OF THE LEGAL AID SERVICES ACT
2020 CONSULTATIONS - CLINICS
With the recent passing of the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020, LAO must now implement a clear framework for the delivery of legal aid services by community legal clinics serving communities throughout Ontario. The new framework is an important part of LAO’s Modernization Project, which aims to update and modernize the legal aid system and allow them to be more responsive to community needs.
LAO is seeding input as they develop the new framework for the delivery of legal aid services by clinics to ensure continuity of services to clients when the new legislation comes into force, and to build a foundation for continuous improvement and enhancement going forward.
LAO's goal is to receive the best information and advice to inform LAO’s work in establishing a legal aid system that best serves their clients, in accordance with our mandate and accountability under the Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 (LASA 2020). The perspectives of clinics, who have long served some of our most vulnerable clients, are vital to this process.
Please visit the LAO Website for information on consultations, as well as initial clinic modernization consultation materials and ways to participate in this first phase of consultation.
On August 15, 2019, FOLA attended three Rountables Chaired by Legal Aid Ontario Chair Charles Harnick. The first meeting was on Criminal Law Legal Aid, the second was on Immigration and Refugee Legal Aid, and the third was on Family Law Legal Aid. All were to discuss the Legal Aid Modernization Project and the Legal Aid Services Act Review.
You can access our report on those meetings (plus a recap of a meeting with the Attorney General of Ontario on August 14, 2019) here.
On September 10, 2019, FOLA presented our submission regarding the review of the Legal Aid Services Act to the Attorney General of Ontario, the Chair of Legal Aid Ontario, the Law Society of Ontario, and the Chair of the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid. You can read that submission here.
FOLA will continues to meet with the Alliance for Sustainable Legal Aid (ASLA) in advance of government legislation to amend the Act. We also continue to enjoy open dialogue with the Minister's office and Legal Aid Ontario.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE LEGAL AID SERVICES ACT
SUBMISSIONS
FOLA’s SUBMISSION REGARDING THE REVIEW OF THE LEGAL AID SERVICES ACT
Mental Health Legal Committee Submission respecting review of Legal Aid Services Act
ASLA'S Submission regarding the review of the Legal Aid Services Act
OBA's Submission regarding the review of the LAO Modernization Project
Background
In its 2018 annual report, the Auditor General of Ontario recommended that the Ministry of the Attorney General work with Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to conduct a comprehensive review of the clinic service delivery model and identify areas for improvement. The Ministry responded by agreeing to conduct a comprehensive review of the Legal Aid Services Act (the Act) and the service delivery model and identify areas for improvement, in consultation with LAO. This intention has been reiterated in the Attorney General’s April 12, 2019 letter to LAO’s CEO.
Changes to LAO's district structure
Legal Aid Ontario recently moved to a new District structure that very closely matches the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ) judicial districts, except for the North where they now have one District while the OCJ has two. This results in the total number of districts having been reduced from 10 to 6.
The objective of the reorganization was to rationalize and realign the districts to improve the efficiency of services to clients, especially with regard to supporting staff and relationships with stakeholders and service providers.
The six (6) new Districts and their Directors General are:
- North District – Director General Andreas Asmus (includes the districts of Kenora, Rainy River, Thunder Bay, Cochrane, Algoma, Timiskaming, Parry Sound and Sudbury)
- West District – Director General Kaitlyn McCabe (includes the counties of Essex, Lambton, Chatham- Kent, Bruce, Grey, Huron, Perth, Oxford, Elgin, Middlesex, Wellington and Waterloo)
- Central West District – Director General Matthew Hammond (includes the counties of Norfolk, Haldimand, Brant, Hamilton, Niagara, Halton, Peel and Dufferin)
- Central East District – Director General Lisa Banerjee (includes the counties of Haliburton, Bracebridge, Peterborough, Coburg, Durham, Kawartha Lakes, Orillia, Newmarket, and Barrie)
- East District – Director General Annik Wills (includes the counties of Hastings, Lennox and Addington, Frontenac, Leeds and Grenville, Lanark, Renfrew, Ottawa and Carleton, Prescott and Russell, and Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry)
- Toronto District – Director General Tom Kelsey (includes East York, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough and Old Toronto)
These changes took formal effect on September 16, 2019 but the operational processes and systems necessitated by some of these changes will require some months to complete.
There will be no disruption to the legal aid services that clients and service providers receive from LAO from these changes. The objective is that this realignment will be seamless in terms of LAO clients, service providers, justice partners and stakeholders.
INVITATION FROM LEGAL AID ONTARIO
LEGAL AID ONTARIO LAW ASSOCIATION OUTREACH
You may have already been contacted by Legal Aid Ontario, at the local level, to discuss implementation of recent changes at LAO. If you have not been contacted and would like to discuss the recent changes, please let FOLA know and we can facilitate a meeting for you and your members.
Contact Katie at katie.robinette@fola.ca and put LEGAL AID ONTARIO in the subject line.
CHANGES TO LEGAL AID - CERTIFICATE POLICIES & PROGRAMS
JUNE 2019
LAO is changing the way they fund, provide and, manage legal services while ensuring their priority remains to provide quality frontline service to their clients. Certificate policies and programs will be implemented in stages. Below is a summary of the changes announced on June 12, 2019:
Certificate acknowledgement and private bar duty counsel appearance fees
· LAO will no longer pay acknowledgement and appearance administrative fees for accepting certificate and duty counsel shifts.
· For acknowledgement fees, this change takes effect June 12, and for appearance fees, June 26, 2019.
· Certificate lawyers will continue to be paid by the hour or matter.
Payment terms
You will now receive payment in 28 days instead of 14, which includes duty counsel accounts. Accounts where disbursements or discretion are requested will continue to be paid with the standard 60-day timeframe.
Criminal law
· Certificate lawyers may no longer bill for bail hearings on block fees. On these matters, duty counsel will continue to be available to provide bail services. For more complex tariff cases, including those in LAO’s Big Case Management program and matters set for trial, certificate counsel may bill for bail hearings.
· Meritorious bail reviews will be funded at 5 hours per bail review (instead of 10). Certificate counsel will also resume applying for authorization before proceeding on bail reviews. In 2015, LAO increased bail review coverage from five to 10 hours to encourage the private bar to bring more bail reviews and address over-reliance on onerous conditions of release. The additional hours did not result in increased bail review applications.
· When using a publicly-funded Gladue report as part of sentencing submissions for Indigenous clients on tariff matters, lawyers will be allowed a 3-hour Gladue authorization (instead of 5). For block fees, lawyers will receive a Gladue “enhancement” based on approximately 3 hours of additional time, (instead of 5).
· Lawyers representing clients with mental health issues, including at fitness hearings and mental health court, on block fee matters, will receive an “enhancement” for approximately 2.5 hours (instead of 5) for additional work that may be needed to represent these clients.
· Because of technological and legal advances, extra coverage for DNA sentencing submissions will no longer be available, and submissions can be covered under the current base tariff. The block fee base rate that includes DNA submissions will remain the same.
· Criminal duty counsel will:
- Prioritize clients with the highest risk
- Provide services to clients that are legally and financially eligible
- Establish a framework for consistent services
- Monitor, measure and adapt to any changing demand for duty counsel services
- Work with stakeholders to effectively implement any changes
Family law
· LAO will continue to provide full certificate coverage for people experiencing domestic violence, including motions to change and emergency advice.
· Certificate counsel will no longer be able to bill for variations or motions to change where domestic violence is not an issue. Instead, duty counsel and family law service centres will, where available, perform these services, when possible.
· Counsel will be able to bill for up to two case conferences instead of multiple conferences.
· LAO will no longer issue certificates for independent legal advice relating to mediation or separation agreement certificates. Between 2015-16 and 2017-18, 60 percent of separation agreement certificates were unused, or required additional certificates or services. This figure was 70 percent for independent legal advice certificates for mediation, not fulfilling the certificates’ original intent.
· Legal assistance in child protection matters remain unchanged.
· Family duty counsel will
Prioritize clients with the highest risk
Provide services to clients that are legally and financially eligible
Establish a framework for consistent services
Monitor, measure and adapt to any changing demand for duty counsel services
Work with stakeholders to effectively implement any changes
Mental health
· A modified merit test will now be applied to Ontario Review Board appeals ensuring meritorious cases continue to be funded, similar to the one introduced for Consent and Capacity Board appeals in 2017. We continue to provide funding for lawyers to represent psychiatric patients exercising their right of appeal in meritorious cases.
· LAO will continue to fund certificate lawyers for meritorious CCB and ORB appeals over the governing regular tariff: for ORB appeals, lawyers will be funded up to 35 hours (instead of up to 50) and for CCB appeals lawyers will be funded up to 25 hours (instead of up to 50).
· Resources will be dedicated to services for psychiatric patients (instead of substitute decision makers)
Prison law
· Five hours of certificate coverage will be available for parole matters (instead of 10). This ensures clients have access to the services they need. Ontario is one of few provinces which provide these services.
· Resources will be dedicated to services for prisoners to have access to statutory release by way of parole and to extraordinary remedy (instead of “faint hope” parole applications and “gating hearings”.
Other
· LAO staff will be determining eligibility for the test case program instead of an external committee
· LAO will be introducing more defined discretionary processes and criteria.
For questions or concerns about these changes, please do not hesitate to contact David McKillop at Legal Aid Ontario at mckilld@lao.on.ca.
CHANGES TO DUTY COUNSEL
On June 17, 2019, Legal Aid Ontario announced changes to the duty counsel program, effective July 7th. Specific details as to what Family Program duty counsel will do/won’t do can be found here and the Criminal Program changes can be found here.
The central changes are as follows, though the detail is really in the service guides:
- Criminal duty counsel: duty counsel will continue to serve in-custody accused without financially testing as always, but will serve only financially and legally eligible clients for out-of-custody accused. Duty counsel won’t be providing dedicated courtroom services (ie staffing courtrooms all day) except for bail court. However, duty counsel will continue to go into court (not trial courts, of course) to serve legally and financially eligible clients.
- Family duty counsel: duty counsel will assist clients with some aspects of Motions to Change, and will provide in-court service to financially and legally eligible clients in the Ontario Court of Justice and the Unified Family Court.
- Agency work: duty counsel will provide routine agency work for lawyers on certificate matters.
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